Morphological and Molecular Phylogenetic Data Reveal a New Species of Primula (Primulaceae) from Hunan, China

PLoS One. 2016 Aug 31;11(8):e0161172. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161172. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

A new species of Primulaceae, Primula undulifolia, is described from the hilly area of Hunan province in south-central China. Its morphology and distributional range suggest that it is allied to P. kwangtungensis, both adapted to subtropical climate, having contiguous distribution and similar habitat, growing on shady and moist cliffs. Petioles, scapes and pedicels of them are densely covered with rusty multicellular hairs, but the new species can be easily distinguished by its smaller flowers and narrowly oblong leaves with undulate margins. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on four DNA markers (ITS, matK, trnL-F and rps16) confirmed the new species as an independent lineage and constitutes a main clade together with P. kwangtungensis, P. kweichouensis, P. wangii and P. hunanensis of Primula sect. Carolinella.

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Genetic Markers
  • Phylogeny*
  • Plant Proteins / genetics*
  • Primula* / anatomy & histology
  • Primula* / classification
  • Primula* / genetics

Substances

  • Genetic Markers
  • Plant Proteins

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 31570193, 31570222, www.nsfc.gov.cn) to Gang Hao and Hai-Fei Yan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.